Metal container body sizer



Dec. 18, 1956 T. A. MCCOY METAL CONTAINER BODY szzsa 2 SheetsShe et 1Filed Jan. 14, 1954 Dec. 18, 1956 T. A. MCCOY 2,774,406

METAL CONTAINER BODY SIZER Filed Jan. 14, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORv Tbomasfl. M Coy 21492; YULAJEI 2,774,406 Patented Dec. 18,1956

METAL CONTAINER BODY SIZER Thomas A. McCoy, Stockton, Calif., assignorto Carando Machine Works, Stockton, Calif., a partnership ApplicationJanuary 14, 1954, Serial No. 404,073

3 Claims. (Cl. 153-48) This invention relates to the 'manufactureofcylindrical metal containers such as drums, the-bodies of which are ofcourse made separate from the ends.

It has been 'found that very frequently the bodies, as they are turnedout, are not entirely accurate as to their diameter, being smaller thanthey should be, and this makes it hard to secure the ends onto the samewith the proper tight fit.

It is therefore the major object of this invention to provide amechanism whereby metal container bodies which are slightly under sizemay be easily, quickly, and accurately expanded to the proper size, sothat no difiiculties are thereafter encountered in mounting the ends onthe bodies.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a metal container bodysizer which is designed for ease and economy of manufacture.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a practical andreliable metal container body sizer, and one which will be exceedinglyeffective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear from a perusal of thefollowing specification and claims.

in the drawings:

Fig. l is a diagram of the machine used in connection with the bodyexpanding shoes, with the latter in the position occupied before thebody is expanded, and showing such body in position for expansion.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the body expanding shoes within thebody and in interlocked relation with each other, and before the shoesare expanded.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the shoes moved to thebody expanding position.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged end View of the cam, slide, and shoeunit with the shoes expanded.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a pair of cooperating shoes,detached from the slides and in separated relationship.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the shoes shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section on line 77 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal section, on a reduced scale, online 8--8 of Fig. 4. 7

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters ofreference marked thereon, the mechanism for expanding a cylindricalopen-ended metal body 1 consists essentially of a pair of opposedcooperating units 2 and 3, whichas a whole-are identical to each other,so that a description of one unit will sufiice for both.

The unit 2 comprises, as a core, a multi-sided plunger cam 4 offrusto-pyramidal form in section, as shown in Fig. 4. Slidably engagingthe various sides 5 of the cam, and somewhat longer than said cam, areradiating slide members 6, yieldably held together by helical tensionsprings 7 countersunk in circumferential slots 8 in the slides andembracing all the slides as endless resilient bands.

'2 The outer faces of the slides are preferably flat and parallel to thecam faces 5, and resting thereon are the body engaging shoes 9. Theseare as wide as the slides and at both ends overhang or extend beyond thesame some distance; the shoes 9 being somewhat longer than half thelength of body 1. The shoes are removably secured to the slides bycountersunk bolts 10 (see Fig. 8) so that shoes having differentthicknesses, radially .of the unit, may be mounted on the one slideassembly, as the diameter of the bodies 1 being operated on may require.

The outer faces of the shoes are curved so that when expanded, they willproperly fit the body 1. Each shoe 9, at the end thereof facing thecorresponding end-of the alined shoe 11 of the other unit 3, is formedat the sides with longitudinal, transversely spaced chisel-shapedextensions 12 whose outer faces slope radially inward, as shown, andadaptedto 'fit in'similarly spaced recesses 13 formed in the sides ofeach corresponding shoe 11. Each such shoe 11 in turn is formed 'with acentral chiselshaped extension 14 whose outer face slopes radiallyinward and is adapted .to fit in a similarly shaped socket 15 in shoe 9between portions 12.

By reason of this arrangement, the extensions of both shoes, when saidshoes are separated, provide leads for easy entry of the shoes into andalong the body 1 as the units 2 and 3 are moved toward each other. Whenthe opposed shoes have moved toward each other until the extensions 12and 14 are fully engaged in the corresponding recesses 13 and sockets15, the shoes 9 and 11 present a continuous unbroken surface along theirouter face, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that the body 1 is smoothlyengaged throughout its extent.

The slides of the two units 2 and 3, and the cams thereof, are arrangedin connection with a body and operating mechanism of suitable character,preferably as shown in the copending application of J. P. Calcaterra,Serial No. 314,190, filed October 10, 1952, now Patent No. 2,720,241,granted Oct. 11, 1955, and which is shown diagrammatically in Figs. 1-3.

Such mechanism consists essentially of opposed relatively movable bodystructures 16 and 17 in which units 2 and 3 are mounted; said structuresconfining the slides of said units against other than radial movement.The plunger cams 4 of the units are disposed with their small endsfacing each other, and said cams are mounted for axial or lengthwisemovement in the body structures on rods 18. Longitudinally adjustableconnecting rods 19 are connected to rods 18 and to rotary cams 20 ineccentric relation to the axial shafts 21 thereof. The cams 20 areengaged by rollers 22 mounted on the body structures, said cams beingarranged so that said body structures, and the units 2 and 3 therein,will be moved lengthwise from a separated position such that a body 1may be initially placed between the units, as shown in Fig. 1, to aclose-together position such that the shoes 9 and 11 are in interlockedrelation, as shown in Fig. 2. With each full revolution of cams 20,which are of course connected and driven in unison, the body structuresare moved through the above described stroke, and back to a fullyseparated position.

The stroke of rods 19 is so related to that of the body structures thatas the latter approach each other, the plunger cams 4 move at the samespeed, and do not alter their position relative to the slides until theshoes 9 and 11 are interlocked. Then, while the body structures aredwelling, the plunger cams -4 are advanced with the completion of theconnecting rod stroke. This of course shifts the slides and shoesoutwardly so that the body 1, in which the shoes are then fullydisposed, is expanded, as shown in Fig. 3. With continued rotation ofthe cams 20 to complete the revolution thereof, the plunger cams arefirst retracted, allowing springs 7 to contract the shoes and slidesclear of the expanded body 1. This is followed by separating movement ofthe body structures to a position clear of the container body 1 so thatthe latter may be Withdrawn from the machine and another one placed inposition'for expansion. i

From the foregoing description it will 'be' readily seen that there hasbeen produced such a device as will substantially fulfill the objects oftheinventiongas setforth herein.

' While this specification sets forth in detail the present andpreferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviationstherefrom may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spiritof the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new anduseful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A device for sizing an open-ended cylindrical container body byexpanding the same, said device comprising a pair of opposed alinedunits relatively movable toward and from each other into and out of thebody to be sized from the ends thereof, and means to so move the units;each unit including a plurality of shoes, longitudinally fiat on theirouter faces, and arranged in a circumferential row to fit into thecontainer body before the latter is expanded and means to move the shoesradially whereby to expand the same; the shoes of the two units meetingeach other in end to end alinement when the units are fully moved towardeach other and together having a length not less than that of the body.

2. A device, as in claim 1, with chisel-shaped exten-- sions on theshoes at their adjacent ends, with their outer faces sloping inwardlyfrom the fiat faces thereof, to provide leads for the shoes uponentering the body.

3. A device as in claim 2, in which the corresponding opposed extensionsof the shoesof the tWo units are disposed in transversely spacedrelation to each other, each shoe having a recess positioned to fullyreceive the extension of the opposed shoe when the shoes are. moved totheir limit of approachwhereby the outer faces of the shoes will thenform a continuous unbroken surface for engagement with the containerbody.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

